Caterpillars- Argh!

[nikkie]

Just read the slug thread and wondered if anyone has any tips for caterpillars as they have taken over my back yard and eaten practically all the leaves except on the tomato plants.
Now they have found my lettuce on top of the wendy house and eaten that too

really have no idea! can you put hair net type things over the plants?

You can pick them off by hand or get the kids to do it.
Or use an insectide. I use an organic one on my sprouts every year or I would have no sprouts. I spray late in the evening so hopefully a lot of of insects will be in bed.

They ar very tiny (less than 1cm)so very difficult to spot are some larger ones but still can't get them all!

nikkie
i sympathise.
i have never had this problem before but they destroyed my vegetables in hours this year.

chestnutty, which one do you use and can you get it online? It's too late for this seasons crop

HI!

All my Brassicas are suffering too.. I think its caterpillars.. hundreds of tiny holes..

I think the caterpillars hide in the day.. Was gonna ask at the garden centre tomorrow so will report what they say!

Jan
xxx

Jantubb - I use B&Q own brand organic insecticide, it seems to do the job.
I'll be using it later today - I've just noticed my sprouts are full of holes and crawling with caterpillars. I've picked quite a few off by hand.

Are there more this year?
We've never had probs before.

Decided to give up on brassicas (hoiked em all out.. felt great)!!!... after talking to pals in my area who've had similar probs year after year and don't grow them any more.. Mind you my spinach seems ok..

Jan
xxx

I have had to abandon my celery as they have now gone through that, have started new salad leaves in a tray inside still can't see the little b*ers though

Hi, just got back from holiday and my sprout plants are like dollies(sp?). Abs covered in caterpillars. will pick them all off tommorrow or buy sprouts from Sainsburys.

pick off about 50 cattys from 3 plants. Had difficulty in killing them. Tried to drown them but they are very good at keeping their miuths above the water. In the end I put them in thr compst bin,

Which is well away from the veg patch!

I was putting mine in the wheelie bin !

oh fio i was going to thread a link to a really weird large caterpillar but it didn't work, it's the biggest weirdest thing i've ever seen